Deal With the Devil
by kehkanSKlover
Summary: A series of attempted assassinations forces Kaiba into hiding, but when all of his plans fail, he's left with the one person who no one would ever imagine he'd ask for help. Joey. Dark content violence. Full summary in. WARNING Lemons. Silentshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or any other name brand things I might happen to mention. The plot and OCs are mine. **

**Summary: This is six years after everyone is out of high school, and have started on their lives. Times are rough as the economy has been falling and there are struggles all around as the reality of life hits everyone. Including Seto Kaiba. As a matter of act, things cant get any worse for the famous CEO. Not only is business down, someone wants him dead, and they're almost as good at getting what they want as he is. After all of his safe houses and security has failed, he feels defeated, at least until an idea pops into mind.**

**Rated for future lemons, violence and dark concepts. do not read if you are uncomfortable with this material. All of the chapters with a lemon in them will have a warning at the top in bold. There will not be many, so please don't demand them.**

**Also, this has been reposted because the other one was not working correctly or showing up. I dont know what happened to it, it just wasn't. So all the reviews are gone... *sadface* Oh well, hope you enjoy.  
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Chapter 1

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Serenity hugged her jacket closer to herself as she stepped out into cold winter air. She turned, waving goodbye to Tea who had to work late. She had always imagined Tea would have her own dance studio by now, but the times were tough. Big businesses blossomed while little ones died out. Joey had been laid off from his job as a line cook just a week prior and no one seemed to be hiring anymore. Serenity had hoped that she would be living on her own by now, but working at the bar with Tea didn't pay well and she was stuck living with her brother for at least another year.

The night sky was jet black with only a few stars poking out above the city. Winter this year was exceedingly cold and it had only just begun. She glanced around the street and watched warily as shady people sunk into the ally ways. People were getting more desperate as the costs of living rose and the job availability sunk. She could see about twice as many people on the streets, begging for change and doing less than legal work just to make ends meet.

Serenity was afraid Joey might consider the same thing, as he'd done in the past. That's why she wasn't headed straight home. She rounded a corner down a well lit street until she got to the condo she had in mind. After a knock on the door a young man answered. He was relatively tall and of a slim build. His auburn locks framed his face gently while his hazel eyes glazed over her. A smirk pulled at his lips as he moved aside to let her enter.

"Actually I really have to get home, but I wanted... to accept your arrangement." She said, keeping her eyes on the ground. She could feel his smirk widen and his eyes crawl over her again.

"Excellent. I'll give him a call tonight."

"Now." Serenity said, eyes finally meeting his. He smirked but nodded. He knew his time for demands was coming up. He would just have to wait for hers to be met first. He slipped his hand into his breast pocket on the brown jacket he was wearing and pulled out a cell phone.

"Hey, Joey. It's Jake. I was just talking with Serenity, she said you got laid off, that sucks. But hey, I have an idea. My dad's business just let go the security guard at their club on Skye street. We need a new guy and I know you're tough as nails. It pays great too. That's awesome. Meet me there on Friday, alright? I'll talk to dad." The phone snapped shut in his hand and he looked back at Serenity. "Happy?" He stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers and disappeared into the house, closing the door behind him. Serenity slowly moved back and turned, starting towards her section of neighborhood. As she moved down the street, she couldn't help but think 'what have I gotten myself into?'

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><p>The entire business had gotten out of hand. The first time, he locked down his entire estate. Made sure his safe houses were secure and had every account traced for all activity including his own. The second time, he moved himself into the safe houses switching randomly between them every week or so, but the third time... he had to move Mokuba. He almost lost him. He paused, driving back from the airport and thought back to the night before.<p>

The door to his office was closed but not locked. He shrugged it off, thinking the maid had closed the door behind her. Once he opened the door, his suspicion of the maid was confirmed, but an entire new one had formed. She laid across the floor unmoving, next to Mokuba who was also unconscious. He rushed into the room, which now that he thought about it, was the dumbest thing to do, but he was panicked.

The second he was fully inside his head began to spin. He paused for a moment, his body reacting before his mind and he slowed his breathing. Nitrogen gas was a common colorless gas used for stealthy hits with no traceable source, unless you knew what you were looking for. Kaiba dragged Mokuba, then the maid out of the room, taking deep breaths from the hall and holding them as he entered. Once they were out, he entered again, opening windows and unblocking vents in the room, and finally, finding the source of the gas. A tube leading out a small vent and down the side of the building.

He slipped back out of the office as the room aired out and knelt besides Mokuba. The boy was still breathing and barely regaining consciousness, but the maid had long passed. It looked as if Mokuba entered to visit the older Kaiba and when he found the maid, tried to help her, getting sucked into the hit unknowingly.

Kaiba shook his head, removing those images from his mind. Whoever wanted him dead had to have something to gain out of it. But what? Mokuba was the only one in direct line of inheritance for him and should anything happen, Mokuba would be the one to split his estate or do whatever he wanted. If both brothers suddenly died, their entire fortune and any material possessions would be auctioned and the total divided into shares for assorted charities and as business investments on Kaiba Corp.

Their wills and fortunes were completely secured. Why would they be after him now? And whoever they had as a hit man was definitely a pro. He slammed his fists against his steering wheel. The cops were of no use. Protective custody was easily broken leading to the last attempt at his life this morning. He couldn't trust them. He couldn't trust anyone. All the people who were close to him... none of them could help him.

Even if he wanted to be able to confide in someone, the only people he could rely on being consistent were the ones who hated him.

Kaiba slammed on the breaks as a thought came to mind. He used the momentum of the swiftly moving vehicle to swerve and turn, starting off in a new direction altogether. It was late, but he was sure they were still up. His car screeched to a halt a few blocks away from where he wanted to be. He wiped it down, left the keys and used the ally ways to travel. He popped out onto the main street in time to collide with someone.

"Ow... Kaiba? The newspapers said you died-" Serenity managed before he grabbed her, pulling her into the ally he had just come out of and covered her mouth.

"I need to talk to your brother." He said quickly. She tried to say something else, but his hand remained over her mouth. "I also need you to pretend I'm not me." Her eyes were filled with confusion and once she stopped trying to make noise he removed his hand.

"Whats going on?" She finally got out. His lips thinned as he clenched his jaw. He didn't have time for this.

"I'll explain it later. Just get me to your brother." She glanced out into the street, then popped back into the darkness where he hid.

"He's with Yugi right now. That's about six blocks down from here." Kaiba sighed frustratedly and scanned the area again before turning back to her.

"Fine. Lead the way." She went towards the street, but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Take back roads." He hissed, still searching the streets for shadowy figures. She led him through a series of allies for about a half hour until finally they came to the game shop. It had been two years since Yugi's grandfather had passed away, leaving the 'king of games' his own game shop. Kaiba remembered attending the funeral, as he was invited. He made his first and last silent apology to the old man over his casket that day.

The six years they had been out of school seemed to be rough on the entire group all around. Kaiba didn't keep tabs on Joey, Serenity or Tristan, but Yugi suffered his grandfathers death, then the game shop flooded, leaving him to pay for all of the damages directly after inheriting it. He knew Tea's parents had kicked her out once she turned eighteen, as a get out and grow up exorcize, leaving her on her own at a young age and forcing her to find lodging with Mai, who apparently was cut off from all funding and ended up getting a job selling cars. She was good at it, but she would have preferred to remain rich without responsibility.

No one seemed to be doing well. Or at least, doing what they imagined they would be.

As they approached the door, Kaiba continuously glanced over the streets, trying to look for anything that moved, but at this hour, he was relieved to find everyone else was home. Yugi and Joey exited the door before Serenity could knock. They smiled down at Serenity, then looked at Kaiba and froze.

"What are you doing here?" Joey asked astonished.

"I need to talk to you. But can we do it somewhere more private?" Kaiba asked determined to leave the street. Yugi waved them back inside and everyone filtered into the shop. Kaiba noticed the water damage still present about three inches up on the wall. The bottom racks of merchandise were removed and the floor looked warped and creaked under their feet. Yugi led them up into the house section of the shop and into his living room.

"Well, we're in private now. What's up?" Yugi asked. Kaiba nodded and turned to Joey.

"As you've probably read, the media thinks I'm dead. I've been targeted for a series of hits now and the police are no longer of use to me. I've tried hiring security, but everything has been compromised. Mokuba's been shipped out to a safe location and I'm going to stay in town to monitor my business, but I need to lay low. If they find me, they'll try to kill me again." Kaiba explained. The room was dead silent. Serenity and Joey exchanged worried looks, and Yugi stepped up.

"I... I would let you stay here, but all the damaged items are in Grandpa's old room and I barely have any room here-"

"They know I respect you and you're the closest thing to a friend I've got. They'll check you out." Kaiba said before turning his gaze on Joey. "But they know you would never help me." Joey's eyes widened in shock. It was true, on a normal day in a normal situation, Joey would rather eat dirt than aid Seto Kaiba, but... this was a matter of life and death.

"I... I don't know..." Joey did have the space. His mother had passed away in Serenity's last year of high school, leaving her children the three bedroom house and a few medical bills. He had just gotten a call for a job as well, so they should have been all set with bills, but he didn't like the idea of living with someone he hated. "How long?"

"I don't know. Until I find a safer place to stay?" Kaiba tried. He was trying to hide his desperation, but the simple fact that he was asking Joey was enough to prove this was no joke. Joey looked at the ground for a moment, then at Serenity. Kaiba and Yugi followed suit, now placing all eyes on her. She nervously looked between her brother and his best friend, then her eyes wandered up to the awaiting blue ones of Seto Kaiba. He held her gaze for a moment, but her eyes shot to the ground moving along the floor as she thought. As she glanced up at her brother once more, her mouth opened and closed many times, trying to squeeze out a sound, but failing. Finally she found herself nodding, wishing to keep the privacy in her life, but knowing that this was much bigger than herself.

"Fine... Let go home... Also, Ren, your friend Jake called. He gave me a job." Joey said, moving towards the door. Serenity followed behind him and Kaiba behind her. Yugi waved goodbye, locking the doors and disappearing into his home while Joey continued to talk with Serenity. "I'll be a security guard at the club down the street. Walking distance and good pay. Sounds too good to be true." He said a little deflatedly.

"Joey, that's awesome. I knew he'd call you. Jake's... He's a good guy. If he says he's got a job for you, he means it." She said, hating the way the words tasted in her mouth. They took a secluded path back to their home, as Kaiba instructed, and used the back door to get in. Once inside Kaiba looked to Joey for further instruction as to where to go. He led him through the living room to the hallway just past the kitchen. Kaiba followed until he stopped in front of the first door to the left and Joey turned to him.

"This is gonna be your room. It's no penthouse, so don't get whiny." Joey turned back to the door, opening it before Kaiba could say anything. It was probably a good thing too. Kaiba hated to admit it, but he was indebted to them and probably shouldn't do anything to jeopardize his stay.

"... Thank you." Joey turned fast, not believing his ears. Kaiba couldn't bring his eye's to meet Joey's, but he knew the boys jaw had dropped.

"Shit... this really isn't a joke..." He said, grabbing some fresh sheets out of the closet and putting them on the bed. "Well... just... yeah." Kaiba watched as Joey left the room awkwardly, then raised an eye as he saw Serenity at the door.

"Um... what do you usually eat? I make the meals and get the groceries, so it'll be easier to cook for you if I know what you like and don't like..." She said timidly. She hadn't changed much. He remembered the day she begged him to land his blimp to get medical attention for one of her friends. He was such a child back then. So inconsiderate and stubborn. He felt bad now for denying the medical help they needed for their friend. He almost wanted to apologize. He was twenty four now and much more mature, but still, somehow... stubborn.

"I'll write up a list." He said, moving toward his bed to make it. Suddenly she was next to him.

"You go wash up. I'll take care of this. You've probably had a long day." He hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded and moved to the bathroom. It would be weird living with them, but it was his only chance.

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**So, first chapter down. I'm not sure how fast I'll be able to update, as life is really busy right now, but I might be able to manage a chapter per week. I'll let you know the more I work on forget to review. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love!  
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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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When Serenity woke there was a small list on the kitchen counter of things Kaiba didn't like to eat and things he was allergic to. She searched through her cabinet, making sure she had everything she needed for basic meals for the next week, then hopped into the shower. By the time she got out, Kaiba was awake and in the living room. She noticed he was wearing the same clothes as the night before. Come to think of it, he came to them empty handed, not even his famous silver briefcase.

He looked horribly uncomfortable, his clothes wrinkled, his hair unkempt, and his eyes tired. She wondered how long he had been hunted like this. The papers released a few days prior revealed that he had been killed, but she doubted it was the first attempt on his life. She moved to the basement, rustled around a little and returned with a stack of clothes.

"Kaiba, here." She said, offering the bundle out to him. He rose from his spot on the couch and looked at her confusedly. "They're Joey's. You're a little taller than him, but they should still fit. He likes to buy them a bit big, so they should fit with a belt. Oh, and don't worry, they're clean. Joey hadn't brought them up yet." He nodded quietly and took them, moving to his room. When he emerged, he was wearing a white tee shirt and some of Joey's jeans. He used his own belt to hold them up, but it didn't look half bad. "I'll clean your clothes if you want." She offered, but he shook his head.

"They should probably be disposed of. I'll do it later." He said. She looked at him sadly, but he was right. Anything that could identify him as Seto Kaiba should be removed for safety's sake.

"Um... Kaiba?" He had just moved back towards his room, but paused as she called him. " You really have nothing left... do you?" She asked quietly. He sighed, but didn't respond, walking into his room and closing the door. She felt bad for pointing it out, but the words seemed to just fall from her mouth before she could stop them. She turned to the kitchen, grabbing the list he had written and headed out the door.

By the time she returned from the store, she had expected Joey to be up, but the night before had apparently worn on him, so he remained in his room. She placed the heavy bags onto the counter and marched up to the stairs. Joey's room had been their mother's, so it was the master bedroom, having it's own bathroom and floor to itself. The door at the base of the stares was closed and she banged on it loudly. He liked to keep it locked and she expected him to continue the habit. Roused by the banging, Kaiba moved out towards the kitchen, lingering in the hallway as she called.

"Joey get up! Sleeping until noon is not ok. I need help." They both heard thuds up in the floor above and she moved back into the hallway. "Oh, Kaiba... I got something for you too." She said, averting her gaze and moving to a few of the bags on the counter. She didn't take long before returning with a bag of supplies. Reaching inside, she removed a pair of scissors, a comb, some hair gel and a few dyes. "I figured, if you're going to be... not Seto Kaiba, you might want to change your look a little bit. I didn't know what you'd want, but I've got a little of everything if you're interested." She said, putting the things back into the bag and handing it to him.

"I'm not exactly proficient in styling hair." He said looking into the bag.

"It doesn't have to be perfect, in fact, it's probably better if it's not. You wont look so... rich." She said with a smile. He looked confusedly into the supplies, then back to her again. "If... If you want, I'll help. I'm no pro, but I've helped do a few things." She offered. He looked lost standing there with the bag of items he never dreamed he'd have to use. He offered it back to her and she pulled up a chair into the middle of the kitchen. He sat down heavily and thought for a moment. "So, what'll it be?" She asked after a few minutes.

"Something simple... I don't want to color it or anything."

"Really? I think you'd look good in lime green." She joked. He turned, raising an eyebrow, but her attitude and cheerfulness did put him at ease.

"No. Cut it. But... only about an inch or two." He said, looking at the hair dyes and gels. She did as he requested, and though it was a little choppy in a few areas, it wasn't horrible.

"You still look like you." She said, moving around him. He nodded, not finished with his new look and grabbed the hair gel. He scooped out a small amount, just enough to do the job, but not enough to look disgusting and swept his hair back. A single strand fell before his eyes and stubbornly refused to join the others. He tried a few times to pull it back, but to no avail, it remained across his forehead.

"Hey, what's u-... Woah..." Joey said, finally emerging from his room and pausing at Kaiba. " You... Look like a greecer." He said, trying to remove the grin from his face and failing miserably. Kaiba's fists clenched by his side and he turned to the scissors, but Serenity grabbed for his arm.

"No he doesn't. You look fine." She said, trying to stop him from doing something he might regret. She reached up, tugging the strands of hair still in his face, twisted them and tucked them back with the others, successfully removing them as he had attempted to before and smiled. "It actually looks really good." She said happily. A few moments later, the hair did manage to fall back out of place, but he suddenly didn't mind it.

Serenity cleaned the floor while Joey and Seto put away the groceries, and despite not liking each other, didn't argue much. In fact, they got along quite well. Joey was showing him where most of the food went and Kaiba was learning the kitchen. When they were done Serenity made something to eat and they all enjoyed a late breakfast.

"So, what do we call you?" Serenity asked, poking at a home fry with her fork. Kaiba thought for a moment. He never imagined he'd have to create a new name or identity for himself, at least, not for actual life. He had done it hundreds of times on the computer, but... actually responding to a name that wasn't his in an every day situation... it was going to be difficult.

"How about Yutaka?" Joey asked with a glimmer of mischief in his eye. Kaiba fixed him with a glare.

"Wealthy? Really?" He asked as Joey smirked to himself. "Tatsuo" He said finally. Serenity giggled a little and Joey rolled his eyes.

"Of course... Dragon man." Joey sneered. Kaiba continued to glare at him, but sighed defeatedly.

"What would you have me called?" He asked, turning to Serenity. He was done arguing over a name.

"Kei." She said after a moment of thought.

"...Kei..."Kaiba repeated, trying to form the name to himself. "Blessed... wise..."

"Lucky." She added. He looked at her for a moment then nodded. "Now when you go out, you have a new look and name." He nodded. Now all that was left for him was to find the people responsible for the attempts on his life.

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><p>Serenity tugged her hair back into a tight high ponytail. She learned the hard way that drunks will grab whatever they had to in a fight. She put on a cute long sleeve pink sweater and some black slacks and let herself out for her shift. She had to be at the bar for five, so after making dinner she had to get ready right away.<p>

Her shift was normal enough and when she got out around eleven, she bid farewell to Tea and made her way to the front of the bar.

"Well, hello." A familiar voice called confidently. Serenity turned to see Jake moving to walk beside her. "I believe my end of the deal is covered. It's time to pay up." She headed out the door and he filed directly behind her. She stopped a good twenty feet from the building, but he remained where she couldn't see him. His hands trailed down her shoulders, barely touching her as he made his way to her hands. A sharp yank pulled them behind her back and he began to walk he towards what she was sure was his car. She didn't know exactly what he had planned, but she was sure she wouldn't like it. It didn't matter though, a little suffering was alright if she could keep Joey from getting shot or stabbed on the streets. It was her turn to sacrifice for him instead of the other way around.

It was past three in the morning when she finally did get home. She felt sick while she entered as quietly as she could. Her stomach churned when she saw the light on and looked up to see Kaiba turning to look at her.

"I thought you get out around ten." He commented quietly, though not sounding like he actually cared. Serenity was actually somewhat relieved. If it was one of their friends staying with them, they would have waited up all night for her worriedly. Kaiba just needed their home. Nothing else.

"Yeah, I got held up with something. You hungry?" He gave her a questioning look then turned to the television he was apparently watching. It was a broadcast about his life. He sneered at the screen before answering. He hated all of the hype. He wasn't really that important. Sure he was the richest guy in town, but It wasn't like he ever effected that many people. The broadcast showed crowds of hundreds holding memorials for him and weeping outside his home and office. All he could think of was how it would slow production. He turned back to Serenity, forced to answer the question she used to deflect the subject he was actually interested in.

"No. Actually I was about to go to bed before you came in." He lied. When the clock hit eleven thirty, he wanted to go to the bar himself and see what was taking so long. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that he had no idea what bar she worked at or her route home. His lack of knowledge of her cell number stopped him from calling at one, and the unfamiliar layout of the area stopped him from searching around two. Not to mention the hits called out against him.

He gave up questioning the girl, believing her as he had no reason not to, but should something like this happen again, he wouldn't let it go so easily. He watched her nod and remove her jacket, placing it on the coat hanger by the door and move stiffly to her room. She was hiding something. He wanted to know what it was, but it just wasn't his place. He moved to his bedroom, shutting the light behind him and laid on the bed.

The next morning he woke to the smell of fresh bread toasting and bacon sizzling from the kitchen. He tossed the covers aside and noticed a lump at the end of his bed. A neat stack of clothes sat at his feet, ready for the day. Serenity must have snuck them in while he was asleep. She was incredibly on top of things. Prompt and tidy, and extremely considerate. If he were in a different situation, he'd consider hiring her for his head of waitstaff at the mansion. But first he'd have to take care of a few loose ends.

He cracked the door open and paused, struck by the full blow of the scents of her cooking. When he finally focused, he froze. She was wearing a white tank top and black fuzzy pajama pants with little grinch faces spotted over it, but what caught his attention were the distinct bruising on her forearm. There was a clear hand mark on each one. He watched as she looked down at the pan that she was stirring, then up at the list he had made. She had it tacked up to the cabinet next to the stove. After browsing the contents of the list she reflexively glanced over at his door, where he was standing.

"I didn't realize when you said you got caught up with something, it meant bruising." He watched a blush flare across her cheeks, but she didn't look away.

"People get handsy at the bar. It happens. It's not the best section of town." She said, chopping at the soon to be scrambled eggs in the pan as they fluffed up. "Do you like cheese on your scrambled eggs?" She asked, deflecting again. She was so natural at it. He wondered how she got to be so comfortable hiding things. He nodded, moving to the breakfast nook towards he edge of the kitchen. "I figured you'd be asleep a little longer, seeing as you were up so late." She commented, turning the conversation on him. Little did she know he was the master at flipping chatter to subjects that interested him.

"I could say the same to you. When did you wake up?" Now that he got a good look at her face, he wasn't sure she even slept. She smiled and was cheerful, seemingly energetic, but beneath that he could tell it was forced. She had slight rings around her eyes and instead of their usual warm state, they seemed empty and cold, like his. It didn't look right on her.

"About twenty minutes ago. I haven't showered yet, or anything. I decided to cook first." Before he could ask another question thumping coming from the staircase silenced him.

"Shit are you always awake?" Joey asked, seeing Kaiba sitting at the breakfast table.

"Yes, I don't sleep, I wait." Kaiba replied sarcastically.

"Your bed head says otherwise." Joey retorted coolly before turning to his sister. He gave her a peck on the cheek then frowned. Serenity knew what was coming. Instead of sleeping, like she had told Kaiba she had done, she practiced. She said the lines over and over until they almost didn't make her want to vomit anymore. She knew what she could and couldn't hide from her brother, so she figured she had some acting to do. "What happened?" he asked, lifting one of her arms then looking to the other.

"One of the guys at the bar got a little physical." She explained. She could see the rage building in her brother. She was twenty three now, and by all rights and adult, but that wouldn't stop her brother from getting defensive. She let the rage build for a moment, hoping it would help the situation a little better. "It's ok Joey. Jake came and bailed me out." Her gut twisted, but nothing came out. Her practice was successful.

"Jake? Like the guy that got me a job, Jake?" He asked curiously. Serenity nodded and Joey shrugged. "Good."

"He... also... asked me out. I said yes. Is that ok?" She asked, playing to her little sister status. He made a face and thought for a second, but looked her over.

"I.. guess your old enough to make that decision. Besides, he sounds like a good guy. Got me a job, saved my baby sister... Alright. But no freaky stuff." Serenity smiled as best she could and nodded. If only he knew...

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**So yed, another chapter down and sooner than I thought it would be. I guess I really do just write too fast for my own good. Yes, the lime green hair was in tribute to the first season of the show only aired in Japan. I couldn't help myself. It's my little dork-dom showing. Also, I've uploaded a pic of Kaiba I drew with the pulled back hair on my Deviant account with all the other drawings from my other fics I've done and a few drawings that have no connection to my writing as well. A link to my page is on my profile, or you can just search me on deviant art. My name on that is the same as here, Kehkansklover. Feel free to comment on anything you'd like. I love feedback in my stories and in my art. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love Ya!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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The next few days were boring as all hell. Kaiba sat, locked up with no phone or computer, in his room staring at the wall. Serenity had brought him books and cards to try to keep him entertained, but it wasn't cutting it. He wasn't used to just lying around and doing nothing. He was used to the fast paced life of a business man with a thousand and one things on his mind, and not enough hours in the day to deal with them. That's how he liked it.

He couldn't even research those who wanted him dead. It wasn't just the lack of computer, but any investigative searches into the happenings of his life might set off a red flag from anyone monitoring for such occurrences and he couldn't trust that the internet connection at the Wheeler's residence was secure enough to protect from IP address identification. It was too easy to be tracked, and then he would be out of yet another safe house... let alone placing the Wheelers in the same danger he was in.

If they were willing to kill not just him, but Mokuba and an innocent unconcerned maid as well, they weren't going to spare the Wheelers. He couldn't let that happen. Not because of his carelessness. He was still indebted to them.

He stepped out of his room on the last day of the first week living with them. He had indulged in several squabbles with Joey, but nothing major. He was holding back, and he figured Joey had been doing the same. Serenity was rather quiet once she got into a routine. He enjoyed her reliability. It was a tiny bit of structure in his falling apart world. She had offered him her laptop to entertain himself, but he turned down the offer, assured that given the chance, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from seeking out his assassins. The temptation was too great.

"We're having roasted stuffed chicken tonight. Is there anything you want for a side?" Serenity asked, noting his appearance. He shrugged, leaving it up to her. She had made good decisions in the past with the food and he hadn't been disappointed yet. He was never very picky with what he ate. He might have been used to a higher quality, but food was food. She smiled, moving the rice cooker from the shelf. He stepped around her, opening the cabinet and removing the heavy bag of rice they she had just bought to day before.

He remembered it being to much for her when she brought it in, even though the day before she had lifted a heavier bucket of water. Maybe she pulled something lifting it... He moved back a few inches, giving himself clearance to place the bag on the counter, and accidentally bumping into her along the way. She flinched at the touch, moving and turning to face him.

"Uh, my back really hurts, sorry." She said, stumbling over the words and bowing politely. He narrowed his eyes, taking a step towards her and getting ready to say something, but a loud cuss yanked at his attention. Kaiba glanced over at Joey, who had apparently just lost on his video game, then back at her. He stepped back again, knowing if Joey happened to glance their way, his posture over the Wheeler's little sister would prompt another spat. He gave her a look that said 'We're talking later' and moved from the kitchen to the armchair next to the couch Joey was on.

When dinner was ready, they boys moved to the table and ate somewhat quietly. Joey scarfed food, not pausing to breath and choking from time to time. Roasted chicken and lemon rice were his favorite. Kaiba on the other hand, ate quietly, staring at Serenity as he did. She smiled nervously and took a sip of her drink, but his ever present gaze was completely unnerving. After they were done, Joey offered to clean up the dishes, which meant he collected them and dumped them in the sink for Serenity to deal with later.

"Hey Ren, I'm going out with Tristan. We're hitting the bar." Joey said, pulling the fold of twenties out of his pocket and waving them happily. It was a long standing tradition that the first check from a job would go to a reward of the recipient's choice. It had been near forever since the last time Joey and Tristan got some "man" time together, so he was extra excited. Serenity, on the other hand, was not as excited about being left alone with Kaiba this night.

The second Joey slipped out the door, her anxiety proved appropriate.

"I'm going to give you two options." Kaiba said from behind her. She nearly jumped out of her skin, not realizing he had gotten so close, but couldn't bring herself to turn. "You can either tell me the truth about those bruises last week and your back now, or, I can find out the hard way." Serenity slowly turned her head to see him a few inches behind her, staring down at her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her shoulder.

"Kaiba, I hurt my back. Simple as that. If you'll excuse me, I've got some cleaning to do." She said, trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible. She moved towards the sink, but he grabbed hold of her arm, blocking her retreat. Before she had been better about hiding herself, but now she was panicking. She couldn't keep it up for much longer.

"Last chance." He offered, not wanting to accidentally injure her should she struggle. "Or I'll show your brother what I find out." That made her tense immediately.

"...I... I have to..." His brow furrowed as he waited for her to elaborate. " It's ok." She said, turning back to face him and slipping her arm from his grip. " It's the only way... I cant let Joey go back to the streets." Now he was completely confused.

"What are you talking about?" He demanded. Her eyes fell to the ground and she took a deep breath.

"I made a deal." She admitted. The pieces fell together. She was allowing herself to be hurt to keep Joey off the streets. He moved up to her, backing her against a cabinet until there was barely an inch between them.

"There is no reason for anyone to be hurting like this." He said sternly, yet somehow softly. His fingers grazed her shirt and she closed the gap between them, allowing him to see as he lifted the hem of her it and exposed her back. A large ugly bruise spread over the entire right half while a nasty set of scratches grazed across her in a horizontal diagonal. It was disgusting.

His entire childhood came rushing back like a blow to the gut. He felt sick. He glanced at her face, trying to see the logic behind allowing herself to be beaten like this, but her gaze was averted. She was completely submissive to him. He hated it. He raised his hand, letting the shirt fall back into place, and moved to turn her face to his, but on contact she flinched violently away, cringing and preparing for the blow. How many times had he done the same... he couldn't count, but watching it happen to her made something twist and ball in his stomach. Both hands moved swiftly to capture her face and pull it to his. She cried out in fright, but he was gentle enough that it didn't injure her.

"You don't have to fear me." He said more desperately than he realized. The terror in her eyes was unbearable. "Please, don't fear me." he said, letting his grip fall, yet still keeping her close. Everything in him wanted to shield her. To block the pain and assaults he knew she had suffered, just as he had. "Don't do this anymore. Don't let them hurt you." He pleaded. She looked up at him for a moment, then back to the floor and shook her head.

"I have to. I cant let Joey get hurt, or hurt people anymore. It's my choice. My decision."

"I beg to differ." He said, finally stepping back. His voice was regaining his even tone and he was getting a hold of his emotions as the distance between them grew. "I'm pretty sure, even though you're the one to make the deal, Joey has a say in this too." Her eyes shot back to him. She wasn't used to hearing him say her brother's name.

"Don't... don't tell him." Her words were barely a whisper.

"You throw your own feelings and humanity away just to save him. You think it's worthwhile. I say it's stupid, and I think it would be one of the few things he and I would agree on." Serenity hated that she knew it was true, but she was determined to walk this path. Jake loved making girls scream and cry. Over the week she had only gone to him four times, but each time, he had found some way to destroy her. She wasn't sure how much more she could take, but Joey loved his new job. The money was great, and it gave him a sense of achievement. It kept him from crime and made him confident and proud. As far as she was concerned it was worth the price she paid.

"This is my life. I get to decide these things. If I want to suffer quietly, why cant you let me? It's not like I'm hurting you." She blurted out. He froze, not expecting her to react that way. She had no idea how just knowing what she was allowing to happen was doing to him. His guard hardened to her and he became cold as he looked her over and glared. Something knotted up in his throat as he stared at her. She had been nothing but kind, and here she was suffering in front of him and he couldn't do anything about it. He hated it. He hated the entire situation.

The hits on him, almost losing Mokuba, and now one of the only people able to help him was suffering as well. He was powerless to do anything about any of it and it drove him insane.

"You... You make me sick." He finally said after an eternity of silence. He couldn't look at her anymore. He moved into his room, debating just telling Joey up front. 'She doesn't want your help. She doesn't want anyone's help. She wants to be hurt. Let her.' his mind chanted over and over. His pride had been stung, and it wasn't something he was used to, or something he dealt with very well. She wanted to be hurt... who was he to stop her?

In the morning, Kaiba was content with making breakfast as awkward for her as he could. Still sore from her assault on his pride and her stubbornness when arguing with him, when he made eye contact, he made it a point to glance over her back then back to her. Joey didn't catch onto any of the tension or upset in the air. He finished his breakfast/dinner and went to bed, only having gotten back from his night shift around a half hour before. Serenity wordlessly cleared the table and started on the dishes while Kaiba was left to find something to entertain himself. He needed to get his mind off her. Needed it desperately.

He moved to the bathroom, splashed some water in his face and checked his hair, making sure it looked nothing like the great Seto Kaiba was supposed to. It was weird looking in the mirror and seeing such a different person, but he knew it was necessary. One final comb through his hair and he was done. He didn't like the idea of leaving the house, but he needed to put some space between himself and Serenity.

Unfortunately the walk didn't distract him in the least. The only thing that soared through his mind now was how someone could bring themselves to hurt her. She didn't do anything to anyone. All she's ever done was try to help and show kindness. They would have to be a monster to hurt such a sweet person. He shook his head, rounding the block. Thoughts of Mokuba found their ways into his head and his gait slowed.

He wondered if he arrived safely. If Mokuba was happy and healthy. He knew how to get in touch with him, but he wasn't about to risk his little brother any time soon. No, he had to find those responsible first. He had to remove the threat. He didn't know if it was the warmth from the sun or the fresh breeze, but something prompted an idea. He turned on the spot and a new destination was now formed as he walked.

The cyber cafe was a small one that he had never been to before but close to Kaiba corp in location. He paid to use the computers with the little cash he had had in his pocket when he left and sat himself in an empty seat. He knew he only had a limited time to do what he needed to, so he started fast. Hacking into the Kaiba corp database, he was able to monitor the happenings of his business. He was surprised to see only a slight depression in stock value and productivity. Everything else was as if he was on vacation. It didn't make any sense. He was gone for a whole week already, they should have made their move by now.

Unless... If they were the patient sort, he might have to wait months or even years before they made their move on him. He didn't have that luxury. He was already hating what living with the Wheelers was doing to him. He was constantly on edge worrying about Mokuba and his life, let alone bickering with Joey all day and night, and now with Serenity's chosen lifestyle... It was getting to be too much. He paused as his mind swirled back to Serenity. He just couldn't wrap his mind around someone wanting to hurt her.

He tried desperately to get his mind off the kind redhead the entire walk back, but she just filled his thoughts. Everything about her was soft, her eyes, her smile, her warmth... well, almost everything. She had a strong, stubborn love for her brother and friends. Something she's shown that she'd fight for no matter what. He wondered if he had actually become friends with them what would she have given for him as he opened the door to the house.

"Kaiba!" Serenity called, rushing to the him. Before he could figure out what was wrong she latched onto him, hugging him. "What were you thinking?" She cried, breaking away and fixing him with a glare. "I thought you were just stepping out for some air. It's been over an hour and I was... I was afraid something... someone..." She trailed off. He felt warm all of the sudden. A smiled tugged at his lips and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm fine." He said, pulling away and moving to his room. Maybe he had made a friend after all.

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**Woot. Another chapter down. Hows it doing so far? Don't forget to let me know. I love the reviews! **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love ya!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning! Lemon in this chapter. Also, it's a dark one. **

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Chapter 4

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It had been a few hours since Joey went to bed and it was getting late. Serenity didn't have work, but she did have a date, and Kaiba was getting used to looking for the way she limped home from most of her nights with Jake. He moved to his room, not looking forward to seeing her stumble into the house and pretend like nothing was wrong again.

He had made sure the lights were out and the entire house was ready for her to come in and go directly to bed. Nothing needed tending, tidying or washing. He opened his door and almost made it all the way in when the front door opened and closed loudly. He paused, determined not to look, at least, until he heard a quiet sob followed by nothing at all.

He turned, finally scanning for her in the darkeness when she didn't make her way farther into the house. She was leaned along the door, her forehead pressed against it as she held herself. She was shaking and he could hear a quiet sob every few moments. This was different. She always hid her pain so well. He moved behind her and noted that she was completely soaked. She must have been forced to walk home in the rain that night.

"N-No, please! Please don't touch me." She cried as his fingers grazed her arms. She jumped back, curling into the shadowy corner where the wall met the door. If he hadn't known she was there, he wouldn't have been able to see her at all in the darkness of the house.

"Serenity, what happened?" He asked trying to calm her without touching her. She was shaking violently now but she was starting to control her breathing better.

"Kaiba... He... I..." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to convince herself that this was a nightmare. "I said no... I swear... I said no, but he..." It was Kaiba's turn to tremble. He clenched his fists at his sides as his anger built. Abusive and now a rapist. Kaiba wanted to find this kid and kill him himself.

"Where is he?" He demanded, but she shook her head.

"You cant. What if someone recognizes you? You could be hurt." He paused. Even through all of this, she was still thinking about him before herself. He pulled her against him and held her there while his mind raced. There had to be something he could do. She cried into the white tee he was wearing and he began to stroke her back gently. "I... I didn't want it to be this way." She breathed into him. "I wanted it to be special... that's all anyone wants... it to matter..."

"Serenity..." He guided her to her room and helped her into bed. "You don't deserve this. No one should go through this. Serenity..." She shifted on the bed and he pulled the covers out from under her, readying them to be pulled over her when she needed them. He helped her adjust herself, but as she moved, she flinched and jerked away. He froze, letting her place herself in a more comfortable position, then returned to her. "Where does it hurt?" He asked, wanting to soothe her pain and erase the night that had just taken place.

"My side..." She said and he could hear her rustle about. Her room, like his, was darker than the rest of the house. The bedrooms had curtains thicker than in the other rooms and they blocked most of the outside light, so knowing what she was doing was tricky. His fingers grazed her shirt, lifting it slowly until her left side was exposed. She didn't know what was about to happen, but barely a moment passed when she gasped and jumped.

His lips were soft on her skin, kissing the tender flesh beneath them as he stroked her stomach. His hands were gentle but his skin was rough. It sent tingling sensations down her spine. He kissed again, this time more towards her belly, lifting fabric when it needed to be. His lips trailed up her flesh, pausing for his hands to slowly unbutton her shirt until it was split down the middle and he had made his way up her, kissing her stomach, then between her breasts, and finally to her collar. He was over her now, but unlike Jake had been, he wasn't intimidating. He was soft... warm... safe.

His hands moved to her back, pulling her up closer to him as he moved to her neck. She gasped out and her hands tangled themselves in his white tee. He forged a path of butterfly kisses along her jaw and finally made it to her mouth. She was sweet. Everything he had known she would be. His stability... His kindness... his friend... no, he knew he wanted more than that. This night was proof. His kisses became harder, more hungry. He needed to taste her. His body shivered as she moaned into his mouth.

She deserved to be loved. To be treated with kindness and caring. He wanted nothing more than to give her that. He brought her up, lifting the shirt off of her and tossing it aside. He couldn't see her, but he already knew how beautiful she was. His thumbs brushed the inside of the band of her pants and she yelped.

"Serenity... Do you trust me?" He asked between unsteady breaths. She was silent for an eternal moment, but finally she responded with what he could tell was a nod. He slipped his hand down past her panties and brushed against the tender flesh within. Her body jerked and writhed as he stroked her. She wasn't asking him to stop or pulling away. Instead she gasped and moaned and called out to him. He loved it.

"Kaiba..." She said in a breathy whisper and he smirked. He wished that he had been her first. That she had never known the hurt Jake put her through. That she had only ever experienced love and tenderness like this. He slipped his middle finger inside her and she whimpered as he slowly pushed deeper. His thumb caressed her sensitive button making her shake and twist with every motion. He was slow and gentle, but rhythmic and dextrous. Her hands clenched in the fabric around her as her whole body tensed and her breathing just about stopped.

Finally she managed to wheeze out a muffled breath and her body twitched against his hand. She came. His hand retreated back to his side and he started to move the blankets over her.

"But... What about you?" She asked from the darkness. He stopped and looked down at where she was.

"I-I..." He stuttered out, but was unable to find any more words.

"Oh, I see." She said sounding deflated. She pulled the covers the rest of the way over herself while he sat there like a fool fumbling over his own thoughts. He didn't want to take advantage of her. He didn't want to use her like some other men would. "I'd feel the same way if I were in your place." She said quietly.

"In my... wha... No!" Kaiba said, finally understanding what she was feeling. She held herself, rubbing her arms as she kept the blanket high up on her. "That's not it. I... Serenity you've had a rough night. I don't think it's smart to be making decisions like-" Before he could finish she had pulled him into a kiss. "Serenity..." He breathed out as they broke apart. "If you get me going, I don't think I can stop... I..." Was all he could manage before she kissed him again.

This time he moved back over her, pushing her flat against the bed as his hands explored her exposed body. He tugged at her pants, pulling them down off of her. Her panties were soaked from his previous actions there. He didn't need to get himself worked up, watching her twist and come while she called for him was more than enough to make him hard. The panties came down as he knelt between her legs and gripped her hips, pulling her against him. One hand worked to free him from his belt and jeans while the other held him up as he sucked in a nipple.

She gasped and arched into him. Her hand shot to his shoulder, grabbing the fabric of his tee and squeezing. He finally ripped his belt from his pants and flung it off to the side. He broke from her, blowing gently on the hard bud until she whimpered at the sudden cold, and slid out of the jeans. The shirt came off easily leaving nothing but boxers left, and they took less than a moment to kick off.

He wanted her so badly. He hadn't realized how strongly he felt until she was already hurt. He wasn't good at relationships or being nice and thoughtful, but he knew one thing she wanted. One thing they both wanted. He lowered himself on her, pushing his hard shaft into her slowly. She moaned quietly as he began to fill her. He had to stop and go a few times, her tightness squeezing him as he moved. He didn't care what Jake said, did or thought, Serenity was his.

Her whimpers became louder as he completely sheathed himself inside her. He waited for a moment, allowing her body to adjust before starting to pull out.

"Kaiba...Kaiba!" She gasped out, crying a little as he moved inside her.

"Shhhh..." He said closing his mouth over hers. He moved again inside her and she moaned out into his mouth. He pulled back as he picked up speed, rocking into her rhythmically. He started getting faster and faster until finally he was pushing into her so hard she could barely control her movements. Her body twitched and jerked and her hips started moving against his. He began to moan and grunt, his breathing getting heavier as he came closer to climax.

"Se-Serenity..." He mumbled against her as he thrust forward.

"Yes... yes... Oh, Kaiba...Y-Ye...Sss...Seto!" He couldn't control himself any longer. Hearing her calling to him pushed him too far. He pressed himself into her, filling her completely as he came. He came long and hard inside her. It was as if the moment stretched on forever, and he didn't want it to end.

In that moment, there were no assassins. There was no fear. No worry. No Jake. It was just them.

He pulled out of her and she whimpered under him. He couldn't help but smile. Bending back down to her, he kissed her deeply, but it was interrupted by a noise. Both heads snapped up, looking at the wall connected to the stairs. Joey was awake, and he was headed down to them. Kaiba jumped up from her, gathering his clothes and tossing her hers.

"Hey, Kaiba?" They could hear Joey call through the wall. Kaiba moved back, behind where the door would open while Serenity dressed and gathered her sheets around her. She had just finished fixing her covers when Joey opened the door to her room. " Hey, Ren, have you seen Kaiba?" He asked. He stood in the doorway, the light from the hall now on and making him look like nothing more than a silhouette. She could see Kaiba still behind the door to her room and had to think fast to get him out before Joey could find him.

"Uh, what?" She said sleepily. Joey sighed and moved closer, but was still in the way.

"I asked if you saw Kaiba." he spoke loudly and she cringed.

"Hey, quit yelling, just come here." She tried, feigning sound sensitivity. He did move to the side of her bed and while he was there, Kaiba was able to finally slip past him.

"Hey, sorry, I cant find Kaiba." Joey said, now in a whisper next to her.

"He was watching TV when I went to bed." She lied.

"He's not there. I checked his bedroom, and even the bathroom, but I cant seem to find him." Serenity had to think of something. Kaiba wasn't fully dressed when he left, he would have to have some more time.

"Well, check again." She said, getting up. She led him to the bathroom, first knocking and calling, then opening the door, then she moved past his room to the living room, where she and Joey looked over the couch. Once those rooms had been cleared, Serenity hoped he had had enough time to think up a reason why he was not found while she knocked on his door.

"Kaiba?" She called, knowing he was in there but he didn't respond. She cracked the door open, but couldn't peek in for very long with her brother beside her. He 'helped' her open the door the rest of the way, and to her astonishment, Kaiba wasn't in sight. She moved into the room, looking behind the door where the room continued to find Kaiba, 'asleep' on the desk. She pointed him out to Joey, and the Wheeler boy made his way over to him, shaking him gently as he woke him.

"Yo, Kaiba. I think you ought to see this." He said, rousing the boy. Kaiba stretched then looked up at Joey, who started back out of the room. Serenity and Kaiba followed him up the stairs and into the master bedroom where he had his desktop set up. He let Kaiba have a seat in front of the computer and pointed out a few key phrases and paragraphs. "They just went up a half hour ago. The sites are everywhere. It doesn't look good." Joey said as Kaiba sucked in breath.

"Seto Kaiba, Alive And Dangerous" Kaiba read out loud. "Business tyrant and...Murderer."

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**So, very first lemon in the series. Sad for Serenity, then happy and now... Well, you'll have to wait until next chappie to read what happens. Don't forget to let me know what you think, and as with all of my stories, if you find a grammatical error or something that's phrased confusingly, let me know and I'll fix it to the best of my abilities. **

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love Ya!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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"Murderer?" Serenity asked shocked. Joey looked between the screen and Kaiba, but he couldn't read the boy. He was never really good at reading emotions, or generally anything at all, but he hadn't cared until now.

"That's what they're saying." he replied, eyes still on the brunette in front of him. Kaiba scanned the article over and over. They were saying he was still alive, on the run from the cops in a series of investigations for murder, blackmail, kidnapping, and extortion. He knew immediately that these were the same people trying to get him. He couldn't afford to leave the house again. Not now. Not while everyone and their mother were looking for him. "Well?" Joey demanded, getting sick of trying to read the boy himself. He always did prefer straight up blatanty.

"I'm not running from investigations. You know that. The people who are trying to find me did this so they could have help from people who don't know what's going on."

"So they made this crap up to catch you?" Joey said, disgustedly looking at the screen.

"No... They just dug up my past." Both joey and Serenity looked down at him in horror.

"You mean... You've done all those things? Kidnapping? Blackmail? … Murder?" Kaiba rose from the chair and turned to face them, but didn't actually look at either one. He nodded and hung his head. It was all true. He had done so many things, horrid things, to so many people, but he didn't care because he had wealth and fame on his side. He was young and stupid. He thought he'd get away with it and it would disappear forever.

"I was a child. I abused the power I had, and because I had money, I didn't think anyone would do anything. I was wrong." He admitted.

"Wrong? You were wrong? Kaiba, there are mistakes and there's wrong, and then there's killing someone!" Joey shouted.

"That was self defense!" Kaiba returned quickly and loudly. He was still jumpy about the entire affair. He sank back into himself and looked between the two of them, mouth open as if trying to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.

"Who?" Joey asked quietly. Kaiba really wished Serenity would have asked. It would have been easier that way. He wished she would say something. Anything, but she just stood there, looking at him.

"...Gozaburo... my... My adoptive father." Her hands shot to her mouth and Joey took a step back.

"Your... You killed him? Why?" Kaiba was getting sick of the interrogation, but he continued, knowing that in order to earn their trust, he would have to open up.

"He was the one who taught me to abuse my power. I learned from him that if you have enough money, you can get away with anything. Even beating children and raping maids." Kaiba paused, but the Wheelers didn't respond so he continued. "I allowed him to beat me. Take out his frustration and rage on me while he 'prepared' me for running Kaiba Corp. As long as he didn't touch Mokuba, I let it happen. Well, deals don't last forever." He said now looking to Serenity. Her eyes were wide and locked on his as he spoke.

"He went after my little brother. Almost killed him. I wasn't strong enough to fight him off, but I did manage to push him. I ran at him, I charged him right out the window. I didn't care if I fell too. I had to get him off of Moki... Mokuba." Kaiba corrected himself. Recalling the event was straining his psyche. His blood was rushing and his adrenaline was starting up. Remembering how Mokuba looked, crushed under the torture of Gozaburo, it sent him back.

"I killed Gozaburo Kaiba. I've done a lot of things that I would gladly go back and change. That is not one of them." He said to the both of them, hoping that it was enough for them. He didn't want to lose this house, this friendship now because of the things he had done in the past. He didn't want to lose Serenity. His eyes flickered from his feet, to the floor in front of him, then finally up to Serenity. She met his gaze for only a moment before turning away and heading for the stairs.

That was it, she was gone. He lost her. He looked to Joey, now afraid of losing the only thing left he had left. Joey had his eyes on the ground. He didn't move, shift or tense.

"I get it." he said quietly, still not looking up. " If anyone ever touched Serenity... I wouldn't be able to stop myself." Kaiba's gut twisted and balled. He wanted so badly to tell Joey. He should tell him. "Good thing she has Jake to bail her out. Heck, to bail us both out. We were gonna lose the house if I didn't get that job..." And there it was. The reason he had to hold his tongue. Kaiba could have easily solved this if there weren't people after him. He could have just bought their house for them, or a whole new one if they wanted.

They'd never have to fear homelessness again. Serenity would never have to sacrifice herself to keep her brother off the streets. But if the hit never happened, would he have even given them a second glance? No. He would have continued to ignore them and continued to hate them. He probably wouldn't have even granted them a loan. Now he just wanted this to be over already so he could repay them.

Kaiba retreated to his room where he spent the rest of the night thinking of what he could possibly say to get Serenity to talk to him again. An hour or so later, he fell asleep fruitlessly.

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><p>Serenity still wasn't talking to him the next day. He didn't pressure her into contact with him, but he couldn't help but wish she would say something. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted her to call out for him again.<p>

She left for work as usual and returned around eleven. He had made sure the house was ready for her to go straight to bed, and after a quick walk through to make sure things were in order, she did. His head hung low as he sat in front of the television. He never paid much attention to it, but the background noise soothed him.

He hated how distant she was, but whenever he had seen and talked to Joey that day, he was somehow less aggressive. Almost friendly. Kaiba somewhat wished what it was Serenity who had taken up the positive frame of mind with him, but he had to live with the repercussions of his past.

He watched solemnly as she stepped out to go shopping the next day. She paused by the door and he knew she was thinking of him. Her head began to turn towards him, but before the motion could be completed, she aborted, continuing out of the house. Kaiba hung his head.

"Don't worry about her. She'll straighten out. She knows that it was necessary. She knows I'd have done the same. She's just... conflicted. It'll pass." Joey said, once again showing that kindness that Kaiba wasn't used to and giving him a friendly pat on the back. "Now, whaddaya say we have some pancakes?" Kaiba looked up to the cheerful blonde. He had almost forgotten Serenity had mentioned Joey was the assistant to the master chef at a small breakfast diner. It was past noon, but he nodded, not caring to uphold traditions like specific foods at specific times of the day.

Joey catered to each of their preferences, making a strawberry bit pancake batter for Kaiba and a chocolate chip chocolate batter mix for himself. He reminded Kaiba of Mokuba. Light hearted, naïve, and loving anything involving the coca bean. It brought a smile to his face.

He brushed a hand through his hair. He didn't bother slicking it back when he wasn't going out, and he was past due for a trim so over all he didn't mind the altercations made. He had made a lot of changes to himself while living with the Wheelers. He had opened up himself, his darkest secrets. He wasn't yet sure if it was a good or bad thing, but he somehow felt a safety in their house that was missing before. A bond to them. Both of them.

"Wheeler..." He started, gaining the attention of Joey. "Joey... I will repay you for all of this. I promise it." He vowed. Joey cracked a smile and began to giggle, making Kaiba frown. "What?"

"Dude, you're so serious all the time. Lighten up." He said, stabbing his pancakes with the fork and cutting off a piece. "No one knows your here other than Yugi and us, and we're gonna keep it that way. You can breath a bit, geez." Kaiba put a smile on his face to appease the boy. For some reason Joey no longer aggravated him like he used to.

Before Joey could say anything more, the door opened and Serenity moved into the house, juggling a few bags of groceries. Kaiba rose immediately, lightening her load while Joey went out to get the rest of them from the car.

Kaiba decided he would give her her space. It's what she wanted and pushing anything on her would make her resist even more. A passing thought of Jake fluttered through his mind and his jaw tensed. He did his best to remember where things in the kitchen went, and when he was stumped, she stepped in, taking the item to where it belonged. Now itemless, Kaiba stood, lost in thought. If he did anything about the boy, there was a good chance he would be found and killed. If he left Serenity to suffer quietly...

"Kaiba?" Her voice ripped him from his mind and he jumped a bit, turning to her. He wasn't used to being jumpy and easily startled, but nowadays he couldn't afford not to be. He noted how she stared at him expectantly and quickly deduced that he was in her way. He muttered an apology and moved to the kitchen table to eat where he wasn't obstructing traffic. Joey brought in a few more things and grabbed a bag of chips.

"Hey, I may not be able to kick your ass in Duel Monsters yet, but care for some Soul Edge?" Joey offered, catching himself before he disappeared down the hall.

"Dont you mean Soul Calibur?" Kaiba corrected, but Joey shook his head.

"Nah, we do things old school in this house." He said smiling widely.

"Later." Kaiba responded, nodding. He returned to the strawberry pancakes, which were barely touched and poked at them a few times. The silence was driving him mad, but he just wanted to be near her.

"Kaiba?" He heard her voice again and snapped to attention. She moved to the seat next to him and paused for a moment, making him even more crazy than when she wasn't paying attention to him. "I... I thought you were going to tell him. I don't... I get why you did what you did. I just... I just want him to be happy." She said quietly. Kaiba sighed loudly, prompting her to look up at him.

"He'd be happy as long as you're safe. Your quiet torture will eventually be found out, and when he does he'll kill Jake, then me for knowing the entire time. He's only just started liking me and honestly, I don't mind it. It would suck for him to join the group trying to kill me. This is the only place I have left. Just know, he will find out. It's better that you tell him." He locked eyes with her and after a moment she broke from them.

"Fine. But just a little longer. Just another few weeks, when we have enough money saved up where we can afford for him to be jobless for a while. Please?" Kaiba didn't like her compromise, but agreed. At least it was something. If she changed her mind, he would break the silence himself.

" He just wants you safe... We just want you safe." He said and she looked up at him with tear lined eyes. He could see now that her guard was completely down the entirety of the tole this deal put on her. Her eyes were tired and he could see the hurt and pain behind them. He pulled her chair over to him and hugged her gently.

"Hey, lovebirds, don't make me tell Jake." They herd Joey behind them and jumped apart.

"Joey! I... I was just-"

"She was helping me deal with a few things." He said, feeling more vulnerable in front of Joey than he was comfortable with just yet. Joey gave a stout laugh and grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge.

"Well, don't get any ideas moneybags, She's taken." Joey said with a smirk before heading back up to his room. Kaiba and Serenity looked to one another before rising and turning their separate ways.

Over the next week Serenity was back to her warm self with Kaiba, and the only thing that could make him happier was if he didn't have to steal kisses and hugs from behind Joey's back. That and not being hunted anymore. He missed Mokuba terribly and wanted to talk to him, but it was still too soon.

"I'm sure he's safe." Serenity tried, wanting to soothe him. "They're not after him." Kaiba sat heavily on the couch and leaned his head over the back.

"Once they see I've got a good enough hiding spot, they'll go after him to lure me out." He said while looking up at the ceiling.

"I understand that you must be worried, but the people you left him with, they would have made it widely known if he was taken, wouldn't they? You know, to try and reach you." She watched as he nodded silently and smiled. "You're over thinking this. You're too stressed."

"How the hell am I supposed to relax?" He asked, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists. She didn't respond, at least not with words. His eyes shot open as he felt her lips graze his neck. She had moved beside him and now rested her hand on his chest with the other holding her up while she kissed him sweetly. He let out a quiet "mmm" and already his hands unclenched themselves, now twitching towards her as he fell into her sweetness. She knew exactly how to relax him.

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**Uh, yeah, so obviously another lemon next chappie, but for now we've got this one up. Sorry that my stories disappeared for a few days, still don't know what happened, but it's fixed now. Lost all my reviews though T.T. **

**Also, I put up another DWTD inspired drawing on my deviantart. A pic of Serenity, Jake , and Kaiba. Check it out if you want to. My deviant name is the same as my writers name, Kehkansklover. I think I called it Untouched DWTD. It's under my profile. **

**don't forget to leave your comments and critiques. They're all much appreciated. especially now that I've lost all the old ones T.T  
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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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Serenity kissed her way up his jaw to his mouth where his twitching hands finally moved to bring her in deeper. He turned swiftly, now laying her beneath him on the couch. She was so beautiful under him. He never wanted to imagine anyone else over her. She was his. He dipped down to kiss her again and she laced her fingers into his hair. His hands glided down to the hem of her shirt but she pulled away, making him freeze in place.

"Not out here..." She said quietly and he smirked. It didn't take much for him to scoop her up and carry her off to her room. He plopped her down on the bed and she giggled as she bounced up to a sitting position. She didn't stay there long as he pushed her down against the mattress with another more hungry kiss.

She slipped off her shirt and tossed it aside as he purred with approval. He moved to work off her pants but she put a hand over his, stopping him once more. He growled as he looked up at her, but did stop.

"Uh uh!" She tsked. "I took one off, so you have to now." She teased. He wasn't expecting her to be so feisty, but decided he liked it. He responded to her by grabbing her legs and dragging her against him, kissing her mouth and slipping a hand into her jeans. She yelped against his lips, but he continued, working the button off and finally able to tug them down.

"I don't negotiate certain things. You should know that about me." He said coldly before pulling her pants all the way off.

"No fair!" She cried playfully and grabbed for his shirt. He allowed her to strip him of it and watched as she took a good look at him for the first time. Finally able to see, she could tell he was well sculpted. Anyone wishing to pick a fight with him was going to have a bad day, that much was certain. Her hands gently touched his muscles, grazing his skin and making it tingle. He captured them in his and pulled her kneeling form against him. A smooth turn planted her along the wall her bed was pushed up against. He pinned her arms next to her head and kissed her neck making her moan and arch her back.

After nipping at her ear, he moved back and took a good look at her. She was beautiful. A soft blush shone under her eyes as she began to open them slowly. She was no longer feisty. Now she was flushed and timid, yet still she held hunger in those eyes. He could sate that. He knew he could. He lifted her wrists above her head and held them with one hand while he finished undressing himself.

Once the attention was back on her he pushed himself against her, pinning her whole body between him and the wall. She could feel him hard against her and gasped at the sudden cold on her back. The scrapes Jake had left were fading and no longer sore, but the new ones on her upper arms and one along her left thigh looked brutally painful. He kissed along each of them gently before continuing. He led her off the bed and pressed her along a bare wall, this time, facing it. His hands roamed her freely, exploring her entirely, then finally removing her panties, the last line of defense she had against him.

His hand slipped into her, making her jump at the touch. She was already wet for him. He slipped inside while covering her mouth as she whimpered loudly. Her whimpers turned to moans and muffled speaking as he shifted inside her. He moved his fingers away from her mouth and she took a deep breath before resuming her noises.

"Sssssetooooo... oh... Oh!" Her knees buckled under her and he grabbed at her waist to keep her from falling. She came hard, squeezing him, but he didn't stop. He moved faster, inspired by her use of his name. He could live happily for the rest of his life just hearing her call for him.

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><p>Joey jogged lightly down the stairs, opening the fridge. He was awake fairly early, but that was just how it was some days. He browsed the contents for a while before wrinkling his nose and closing it. He moved to Serenity's door, lifting his hand to knock when a noise through him off.<p>

"Mmmmm Set-Seto!" He heard through the door and froze. It was muffled, but clear enough for him. His eyes narrowed at the door and he pulled back. He had expected more from Serenity. Cheating wasn't like her. And Kaiba... He had just grown to trust him. How could he pull this on them? After all they had done for him. Joey grabbed an apple out of the fruit basket on the counter and sat at the small table, watching the door intently as he took a bite.

Fifteen minutes passed before the door cracked open. He could see it was Serenity who had pulled it ajar, but Kaiba's arm slid around her waist and he turned her, pushing her against the frame of the door and kissing her deeply. So it wasn't just a suspicion. It was true.

"I love you." Joey's jaw dropped as the words escaped Kaiba. Serenity looked up at him in shock as well. Slowly a smile spread across her features.

"I... I love you too." She replied. That was enough.

"Huh, I wonder where Jake fits in this." Joey said casually, startling the two as he tossed out the core of the devoured apple.

"J-Joey..." Was all Serenity could squeeze out.

"What the hell Ren? I expected more from ya. Jake's all head over heels about you and you're doing him like this?It's not right." Serenity glanced up at Kaiba, who's jaw was tense and his lips thinned. He couldn't face Joey, or risk speaking, lest her secret be out. If there was any time to tell him, it was now. She just needed to do it.

"Joey, you don't understand... I... Jake... I don't..." She remained silent for a while and Joey was sick of waiting.

"There's no excuse. What you're doin... It's wrong. It's dead wrong. You've never been cheated on before, I have. It hurts. It hurts like hell." He burst, and Kaiba was starting to get sick of waiting. He stared at Serenity for an eternity, but her eyes remained on the ground. "Ren, why? Jake's been nothing but nice to us. Giving me a job and taking care of you-"

"He's not taking care of her." Kaiba finally said. Serenity didn't move at all, but even if she did, she couldn't stop him now. "He's beating her. He's using her. He's using you to use her." He said venomously. Even talking about Jake made his insides coil and twist. "She traded herself in order to get him to give you a job. To keep you off the streets." Joey was silent, but the look in his eyes was one of a hurt betrayal.

"Why the hell should I believe you? You know, a few hours ago, I considered you a friend. Now you're just a freak who's bangin my little sister."

"No, Joey!" Serenity finally stepped up. He could yell at her for the decisions she made, but Kaiba was not at fault here. "It's... It's true. Jake...I made a deal with Jake. That I'd be his girlfriend if he gave you a job. He... He hurts me Joey. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I didn't want you to go back to the gangs and the robberies and all the other things that almost killed you a few years ago. I couldn't let it happen... I'm sorry." She said, stepping back away from her brother and right into Kaiba. He lifted his hands, placing them on her arms in a supportive gesture but didn't move.

"Ren... he... he really..."

"Yes... the bruises on my arms... my back...they weren't from some drunk at the bar. Jake didn't save me, he made them." Joeys arms trembled as his fists turned white, clenched in balls at his sides. He cursed at himself for how blind he had been. He blindly allowed his little sister to be used.

"What did he do to you?" Joey asked. The clenching and writing of his stomach told him he didn't really want to know, but he had to.

"He...I've gotten bruises and... cuts..." She started, trailing off into nothing. She could feel a squeeze from Kaiba to continue, but the words refused to be presented.

"He raped her. Stole her virginity." Kaiba said for her, stroking her arms and holding her possessively. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she turned, burying her face into his shirt. Joey watched as Kaiba rubbed her back tenderly and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. They were serious. It just angered Joey even more. He had no idea while Kaiba knew everything. As soon as the thought rushed through his mind, he moved.

"You son of a bitch!" He grabbed Kaiba, slamming him back into the room against a wall and tearing him from Serenity. "You knew. You knew this the whole time and you let it happen! Love her? Why would you let this go on?" Joey screamed as Kaiba allowed himself to be pinned against the wall.

"Joey stop!" Serenity shrieked, pulling at his arm. "I made him promise not to tell. I made him keep it a secret." She said and Joey softened. His rage wasn't gone, just redirected.

"Where is he?" he demanded, his attention now on the offender.

"I don't know." She responded. "He calls me, not the other way around." Joey paused, still enraged and with no one to suffer for it.

"Call him and call it off." He said finally. Serenity opened her mouth to argue, but didn't, knowing it was futile. She could only move into her room and grab her cell phone.

The call was short and informal, but she could tell there was anger in Jake's voice. His last words to her were 'you'll live to regret this' before he hung up. A few moments later Joey's phone rang and that was it. He was jobless again.

Kaiba moved her over to the couch and they sat there quietly for a while, regrouping themselves. After a few more minutes, Joey grabbed the remote turning on the television, unable to force himself to speak like the rest of them.

"-iba still missing." They heard and Kaiba rolled his eyes. "His temporary guardians in Lima, Peru contacted local authorities in attempt to get in contact with the older Kaiba through the police, not knowing of his apparent death a few weeks ago. Who will run K-" Kaiba snapped up. The broadcast wasn't about him, it was about Mokuba. They watched intently as the broadcast went on to explain how the younger Kaiba went missing from the safe house in Lima and the guardians were trying to contact a now deceased Kaiba.

The broadcast immediately after started about Kaiba and the new rumors that had been spread about his living in hiding from prosecution. Kaiba stood immediately debating on calling them himself. If it were true, he would know for a fact and have to contact those that took him. If it wasn't true, contacting them could put them both in danger. He had to wait. He had to wait for them to make their demands. Even if he paid any ransom, the kidnappers might still kill them both.

"Kaiba..." Serenity said, placing a hand on his arm.

"I... Cant do anything." His hands shook and his eyes were closed as he hung his head. "I couldn't do anything about the people trying to kill me, about Jake, or about Mokuba now. I'm fucking useless." He said, wanting to throw or punch something. Serenity moved around to his front and hugged him.

"You made me feel better." She pointed out, straining her neck to look up at him. It did put him at ease, but not very much.

"I need to hear from him. I need to hear his voice." Kaiba decided.

"I have an idea." Joey said, gaining the full attention of the CEO.

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><p>It was almost sundown, but it looked like the city was still in full motion. He strolled down Cesar Vallejo until he came to the intersection at Guillermo Prescott, but as he rounded the corner, gunshots broke out. He ducked into the Pizzeria La Romana and watched the house two spots down that he was sent to go to. A woman and man fled, splitting up and ducking into side streets as they ran. The man was going the opposite direction of him, but the woman moved right past him and he decided if he wanted to get his information, he needed to follow her.<p>

She wound and weaved, but he never lost her. The man was completely gone, but there seemed to be more people following. Thinking quickly, he removed his jacket and raced to catch up to her. He placed it on her, tugging her into a different side street and when she went to scream, covered her mouth with his hand.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm here to help, take my arm, quick." He said, slowing their pace. "Hunch your back and limp." He instructed as they moved. He let down her hair and mussed it up, then took her arm as they walked slowly across a street. Whomever was chasing her rushed past him, nearly knocking him over in their attempt to catch up with her. "Watch where you're going!" He shouted in Spanish, feigning anger as he helped steady her. "Poor mum doesn't get a break." he muttered, playing his part well.

After the coast was clear, he led her back to the camp he was staying at and gave her some hot coffee.

"Hey, My name's Ryou Bakura, a friend of Kaiba's. You wouldn't happen to be Mokuba's guardian, would you?" He asked kindly. She looked up at him with home and smiled, nodding.

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><p>"Hey, looks like you were right." A shady man said, turning to his boss. "She's talking to her ex now." He pressed a button, allowing them all to hear the conversation going on, but Jake stepped up and turned it off, taking the headphones and listening to the call in private.<p>

"_Ryou, Did you find them?_" Serenity's voice played in his ear.

"_Sort of._" The English accent returned. "_We found the woman, but not the man or Mokuba." _Jake furrowed his brow._ "She said the men came in the night, but she was able to get Mokuba out. They don't know where he is, and the men who took them held them in the home for four days before they had a chance to escape. They never contacted the police or the news, it was the hit men._" Jake could hear a feral growl in the background and heard as the phone switched talkers.

"_Did you see any of them?_" The new speaker asked hurriedly into the phone. Jake nearly dropped the headset.

"Seto Kaiba, so that's where you're hiding. I can kill two birds with one stone..."

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**So lots going on in this chappie. A lemon, A huge amount of plot, and secrets revealed, not to mention the addition of Ryou. So yeah. **

**Also, I wanted to let my readers know, I posted a one shot yesterday and wanted to see what people thought about it. It's called "One Last Thought" and It's about Kaiba after a huge fight with Serenity that had ended their relationship. It's very sad, but I thought it was well done. Check it out and let me know what you think. I may post one more chapter, depending on what people want to see, but I havn't gotten any reviews back on it yet. I just want a little bit of feedback. Dont forget to review on this one too. Cant wait to hear from you.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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Kaiba hung up the phone, a mixed feeling of relief and worry churning inside him. He didn't want to think about how Mokuba was faring on his own in a foreign country. He didn't want to think of what they had done to his trusted friends he left Mokuba in the care of. He didn't want to think of any of it and the Wheelers knew it.

"Good thing you dated Bakura, huh Ren?" Joey said, knowing exactly what it would do to Kaiba. The boy tensed and he faced Serenity, who looked at Joey disapprovingly. Kaiba's mind was cleared of the present issue and his curiosity overcame him as he glanced between the siblings. "What, you didn't know? They dated for almost three years." Serenity moved in front of Joey, glaring him down.

"No, it was just over two... and that was while I was in high school. A long time ago." She said looking up to Kaiba.

"And he was your first thought?" He asked, still a little upset. He didn't know why he was being unreasonably jealous, but he had only just gotten Serenity. He wasn't quite ready to think about her with yet another guy.

"Joey thought of him, look, Ryou's in the Peace Corp. That's why we broke up. I needed someone there with me and he needed to follow his heart. Besides... there... there wasn't really a spark. He was nice and sweet and the perfect gentleman, he made me happy but... there was no fire." She said, inching closer to him. He knew he set her aflame. He saw it in her eyes. It was enough to sate him. Joey offered to host a video game tournament in his room and proceeded to flatten both Kaiba and Serenity for hours.

Serenity didn't have work that night, and now Joey didn't have work at all. They retired to their rooms, seeking much needed rest late into the night.

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><p>It was maybe one in the morning when Kaiba woke. No noises jarred him, no lights flashed, but something wasn't right. He stared at the ceiling, ignoring life and let his mind wander back to Mokuba. He hoped he was safe and free from the men who wished them harm.<p>

A sudden thump let him know someone had passed through the front door. He lifted himself, curious as what the Wheelers had to do so late at night and opened his door. The second he did it was kicked in, slamming into him brutally.

"Here." A man said quietly but clearly and two others rushed to him with long zip ties, content on restraining him. His instincts kicked in and he swung his arm around, clocking the first in the face and driving him into another. He stumbled over them, but he slammed his foot down on them and used them to propel him up at the third. He didn't see the gun, but he heard the shot. It barely missed him and went straight through the wall.

He punched the man in the face, removing the gun from him when he heard a cry. Serenity, in her room, was now up and it sounded like she was injured. The first two were beginning to stir, but he moved into her room with the weapon, banging on the wall as he moved and calling for the older Wheeler to wake.

"Serenity!" he called rushing to her bed. Her arm was bloody and she cradled it as he turned to the door, watching for the men to come in. The bullet that had gone through the wall had struck her. He saw two of them pass by the door and the other was poking his head in cautiously from the side they all had come from. The sound of their muted murmuring played in the hall, but nothing was clear until they heard the door to the stairs kicked in and the feet climbing to the next floor.

"Joey!" Serenity said worriedly, trying to lift herself, but being pushed back down by Kaiba. They remained quiet, trying to hear what was going to happen, but the upstairs was silent. A few moments later a loud crash shook the house and they could hear something slamming down the stairs. The man poking his head in turned towards the back of the hall where the stairs met it and Kaiba moved. He swung the butt of the pistol across the mans face, forcing him into the wall as he scanned the hallway.

His blue eyes met with two brown ones as he readied to strike the person in front of him. Joey, face to face with Kaiba halted his motion to hit him with the baseball bat in hand and Kaiba had stopped his assault as well. The crashing sounds on the stairs turned out to be the two trying to break into Joey's room before being struck down by the readied boy.

"Where's Ren?" He demanded and Kaiba nodded to the room. She had just peeked out the doorway when Joey grabbed her and started for the front door. "Come on, Kaiba!" He called back and Kaiba moved, keeping his eyes on the intruders.

"Not that way, out the back, they'll be waiting in the front if there's more!" Kaiba instructed, still weary of the men starting to regain consciousness. Joey turned sharply, guiding Serenity to the back exit and followed by Kaiba. They ran for almost an hour straight before stopping in a damp ally. Kaiba reached down into a puddle, not liking it, but still running the water through his hair and slicking it back.

"How did they find us?" Serenity gasped, looking down both sections of ally. Kaiba shook his head, only now regaining control over his breathing.

"Joey, you got any cash?" He asked and Joey pulled a twenty out of his pocket. "Good, I have one last plan." He hated the thought of ever going back there, but very few people knew of it's location or even existence. Besides, he could use the things there to protect himself. To protect them all.

They used the money to buy a bus pass to the nearest harbor. Once there, Kaiba put in his pass code for the private docks, knowing once he plugged it in the location would be flagged. They didn't have much time. He moved them all to one of his boats and started the engine. They could hear sirens in the distance as he took off and by the time their followers were at the docks, land was almost out of sight.

Kaiba plugged in the destination coordinates for the trip and moved to the back of the boat where Joey and Serenity laid.

"Why didn't you do this first?" Joey asked, holding his hurt sister up and trying to get comfortable in the bumpy boat.

"Because, I never wanted to return to this place." He said, looking to the front of the boat and beyond. "It's one of the old manufacturing plants for Kaiba Corp. From before I ran it."

"Wait... Wasn't it a weapons corporation?" Serenity asked. Kaiba nodded and turned back to her, moving something from next to the cabin and pulling out a first aid kit.

"It's the last location where I put all the most dangerous weapons and bombs that couldn't be safely detonated or disassembled. I wanted to keep it as closed off from the world as possible, but now... I cant risk you two. It's too dangerous now for my petty feelings." He explained while inspecting her arm. The bullet grazed her, only tearing a little flesh, but he bandaged it and put the kit away again. The boat took a full week and a half to get to the island, but once there, he hopped right into work.

This was the lifestyle he was used to, and now in his element, he was going to find some information. The first thing he did was re-establish that his phone line was secure and handed it to Serenity.

"Call your... Call Bakura." He said, averting his gaze. She took the phone and handed it to Joey.

"I don't remember his number." She explained and watched as a smile tugged at his lips He was focused on a large screen in front of him, but she knew he was keenly aware of her presence.

"Hey, any luck? … Really? That's great! Yeah!" Kaiba and Serenity turned their heads to look at Joey who faced them as well. "They found Mokuba. Ryou was able to get him on a plane under his own name. It'll be here in nine hours." He said excitedly and Kaiba's smile grew. Things were looking up.

The second the thought passed his mind, a loud crash shook the small island. Kaiba stood abruptly. How did they find him? How did they not see themselves followed? Two more crashes vibrated along the structure, and Kaiba slammed the door to the compound, locking it before returning to his computer.

"What's going on?" Serenity asked, holding on to his chair as the vibrations worsened with every thunderous boom.

"I don't know, I..." Kaiba paused, a sudden realization striking him. "Oh no... I... I led them right to it... Dammit!" He slammed his hands down on the keyboard. No wonder it was so easy to get away every time. The placement of the nitrogen gas tube was so obvious. The men who came in the night were so under powered and not well equipped. They didn't want to kill him, they wanted to scare him. They wanted to scare him right into the secret location for all of the most dangerous weapons and tools Gozaburo had ever created.

And he fell for it. They were at his door, fully within reach of the most devastating creations Kaiba Corp ever made, and it was because of him. His knuckles turned white as he squeezed the blood out of them. He was an idiot for not thinking about it sooner, but now that he knew, he wasn't about to give it up without a fight.

"Serenity, take Joey to the third basement. There, there's a set of subs. Get into one and wait for me. Don't come out, no matter what you hear. Do you have a watch?" Serenity looked worriedly to Joey, who nodded, lifting the wrist for Kaiba to see. "Good. If I'm not back in twenty... twenty five minutes, I want you to type in the pass code 1513KK9, then the coordinates 35° 27' 0" N / 139° 39' 0" E. That's Yokohama. You should be able to dock there." Kaiba wasn't done speaking, but Joey shook his head and interrupted him.

"No... No, no, Kaiba, we're not leavin you behind!" He shouted, trying to get the young CEO to stop and listen.

"We don't have time for this. Just do as I say. I'm not going to let them hurt you." He turned to Serenity, not allowing Joey to argue any farther, and pulled her to him. "I'm not going to let them hurt you." He said before bringing her into a deep kiss. He held her for a moment longer before releasing her to do as he instructed.

She moved, tugging her fighting brother along with her to the subs where they would wait. Kaiba watched them disappear down the hall and finally turned back to his machine. Serenity and Joey moved through the halls to the elevator, went down three stories, and appeared in a submarine dock. There were six docks for the subs, but like Kaiba said, there were only two occupied. Joey climbed in first, lifting Serenity down with him after he was inside. The sub was small. Probably built for four or five at the most.

There was an observation screen in front where they could see what was going on around them via a camera atop the craft. They had full rotational ability and scanned the area several times. Not even ten minutes passed before they saw Kaiba running past the docks with a large tote in his hands. He jumped into the second craft, disappeared again, then popped into vision, rushing back into the compound. He did this several times over the next few moments, his loads getting larger and heavier.

Joey debated running up to help him, but sat down, deciding it would take too long for him to explain what he was doing and time was of the essence. With two minutes to go, they all heard a jarring explosion. Kaiba was in the middle of loading up the second sub when they showed themselves.

Jake stood at the far end of the docks where the elevators sat. The second sub was in the last of the six docks and Kaiba hopped out of it as it sank into the ocean. The second he appeared, Jake aimed and shot his pistol, striking Kaiba and causing him to tumble to the ground. Serenity screamed, climbing out of the sub, but not making it the whole way before Joey grabbed her. Still she had a clear view of the happenings around her. Kaiba rose slowly, holding his collar and stumbling a bit, but catching himself.

"I never in a million years suspected that Serenity... My Serenity would be harboring the very man I hunted." He said aiming the gun as he walked towards Kaiba. "And to think, I get the pleasure of gaining the compound we worked so hard to get, along with killing you myself." Before he could take another step, Kaiba spat out a blood laced laugh.

"You really think I'd let you do any of that? You underestimate me." He said smirking as he straightened himself. Jake's brow furrowed, but he kept his gun aimed at the man in front of him. The Seto Kaiba Joey and Serenity knew had returned. Snide, arrogant and completely in control. Jake may have had the gun, but Kaiba had the situation in the palm of his hand. He made a sudden move forward, causing Jake to fire again. The bullet sliced through him, but he didn't stop. He weaved off to the side, avoiding another shot and got to Jake, only being hit with one more bullet before his magazine was emptied.

Now in his face, Kaiba grabbed the gun, jamming it up into the boy's nose. As the boys struggled, time ran out.

"Kaiba! Hurry up, we gotta go!" Joey shouted, pulling Serenity back inside.

"Get out of here!" Kaiba screamed, trying desperately to remove the weapon from the boys grip, but his adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was taking over. Joey jumped from the ship as the earth moved around them. "No, get back inside! Go! This place is gonna blow!" Kaiba screamed and Jake froze. Joey didn't. He charged the boy, punching him across the face and forcing him to release the gun.

"That's for my sistah!" He screamed, then kicked at the boy again. "And that... That's for Kaiba." Joey turned to face the bleeding CEO, hoisted him over his shoulder and carried him to the sub. Kaiba gave up trying to make them leave without him. Joey was too stubborn. Instead, he did everything within his strength to hurry them.

Once inside, they could tell the upper levels had already started, the entire island shuddering as explosion after explosion neared them. Serenity entered the coordinates and the sub sank slowly into the water, turning and heading back to the main land.

Joey applied pressure to the bullet wounds Kaiba had as best he could. One shot nicked his collar bone, another pierced his left arm, through and through, and the last went through his stomach. Kaiba coughed up a little more blood before completely passing out.

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**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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A repetitive beeping filled the background as Kaiba regained consciousness. His eyes seemed to not want to work, but he could already tell, where he was was cramped. His breathing picked up as a slight sense of claustrophobia took over. Not being able to see, and feeling restrained made his heart jump and the beeping race.

"Seto?" He heard Serenity call worriedly. He tried to force his eyes open again, and they did for a moment, but the stubborn things shut immediately once again. He grunted, reaching out around him, but his had hit something metal and a pain ran down his chest. "Don't move. You're still recovering." She said as he felt her hands on his arm, steadying him.

"Recover..." He started, but the sudden memory of what took place flashed across his mind and he jerked up.

"Seto!" She managed to get out trying to put him back down.

"Where am I? Where's Mokuba? We're not in a hospital are we?" He demanded, somewhat coherently. He allowed Serenity to push him back down, the pain from sitting stinging him as he moved.

"You're safe. Mokuba's safe. We're not in a hospital. We're in an ambulance." He felt her hands on him now, rubbing his temples and cheeks. She stroked his eyelids, then moved to his cheek bones in a massaging motion. When she was finished his eyes finally responded.

"What... did you do?" He asked, surprised. He worked on focusing his eyes while she explained.

"I'm just making sure your circulation is alright. You lost a lot of blood... I … I was really worried." She now began to rub his hands, working mostly on the fingertips. "We... We broke into a hospital..." She started, gaining his full attention even though his eyes were still foggy. "We stole some things and damaged an ambulance in the process. I'm sorry, but we told Tristan about you. He offered to fix the ambulance in his garage for free, so we've been using it and the things we took to keep you alive. We're not doctors, but you seem to be doing better.

"Mokuba's with Tristan at Mai's place now. He's been visiting you every day. You're still a secret." She finished, putting him eternally at ease. The back door to the ambulance opened and Joey poked his head in. Kaiba, eyes finally functioning, could see the small workshop just outside the ambulance.

"Hey, you're awake." He noted, flashing a smile. "Good, how ya feeling?" He asked, leaning against the wall of the truck. "Gonna give my sister a break soon?" Kaiba blinked at Joey a couple of times, then turned to Serenity, she averted her gaze and Kaiba shot a questioning glance back up at Joey. "Please, she's been up every hour checkin on you for the last three or four days. It's about time you woke up." He said, now slipping next to Serenity to sit down.

Three or four days? How long had he been out? She'd been sitting with him the whole time? He absentmindedly stretched his arm out to her, reaching for her hand.

"We're out of pain meds, so you shouldn't move much." She cautioned, stroking his hand. He sucked in a deep breath, then let it hiss out from between his teeth. Not a moment after, he lifted himself, the pain searing his torso, but he refused to let it show.

"We have things to do." He said as Serenity panicked, trying to get him to lay back down. He raised a hand to her cheek, halting her protests. "The quicker we finish this all, the quicker I can get back to living safely. They're not going to wait for me to heal up, and I know that Jake was not the only one... What is Jake's last name?"

"Uh... Yashimusou." Serenity said, not sure why it mattered. Kaiba nodded and slipped off the gurney. He was stiff and sore all over, but was determined to walk it off. Serenity ran to his side, steadying him as they moved.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sick of running." He said, not looking down at her, but determined to move where he wanted. "I'm going to find them. I need a computer to do it, but I'm going to find them." He said, opening a door in the workshop. Inside was a small office filled with files and papers and a single old laptop. Serenity helped Kaiba sit then watched as he opened the laptop and bypassed Tristan's security measures.

"Yashimusou..." He whispered under his breath before his fingers stopped typing. Serenity leaned down as Joey entered the small room, just in time as Kaiba read out loud parts of the article in front of him. " Souzishi Yashimusou, just recently released from prison. Married to Samantha Butler, one child, Jacob Yashimusou, was once a Yakuza boss and business partner to Jasheen Kizaki, Miromono Tazenkai, and... Gozaburo Kaiba." Kaiba paused, re-scanning the article over and over. He scrolled down a bit before reading more.

"Was arrested for strong arming smaller corporations into purchasing of services and manufactured goods from associates. Of his partners, Gozaburo Kaiba personally testified against him." He finished. Joey and Serenity exchanged looks. "He... He wanted his weapons. The date my... the date Gozaburo testified to lock him away was just before the remote controlled subs were released. Gozaburo always promised gifts to his partners. I always thought it was odd that there were two subs in the compound."

"Well, he cant get the sub. It's gone. Why keep going after you now?" Joey asked. Kaiba sighed and pushed himself away from the desk.

"Because, it wasn't just the sub he wanted."

"The entire place is gone now. You destroyed it." Joey tried again, but Kaiba shook his head.

"No, He did want the compound, but... He also wanted revenge. And now we've... I've killed his only son. He wont stop. He wont ever stop." Serenity moved to help him straighten himself. He wasn't aware that he was swaying, but took the opportunity to hold her close. "Serenity... I'm too dangerous to be around now. I want you to go with your brother." He wasn't finished but she was shaking her head violently and pulling away. "Stay with Tristan for a while. You... You'll know when to come out."

"No, No, you tried this before. I'm no different from Joey, I'm not leaving you."

"Serenity!" He gripped her shoulders, holding her at arms length and looking her in the eyes as he rose from the chair. "I... I'm not going to make it." He watched her heart catch in her throat as she stumbled for something to say. "I'm going to die. I'm not bringing you with me. It's not going to happen." Finally, she snapped. Her fierce loyalty, her love, her friendship, it all burst forth in a violent shove. Kaiba landed on the chair hard and the pain from his wounds flared up.

"No more Seto. You may be the genius, but you're not allowed to plan anything else. It's sweet that you would sacrifice yourself for us, but that's not the only way." She looked over to Joey. "I think it's time you visited your old... friends... from back then... The bad guys, the ones we talked about." She said and Kaiba stared up at Joey worriedly. Hadn't she not wanted him to go back to the streets? She had done so much to prevent it, and now because of him, it was all in vain.

"No!" He tried, but Joey had nodded and moved out the door. Serenity turned back to Kaiba who was trying to get out of the chair again and moved between him and the door.

"You, are going to lay back down in the ambulance until you're well enough to be helpful. Go." She said, finally stepping aside.

"I don't want you to get-"

"Shut up and go." He wasn't used to her talking to him like that. She was furious. Furious and worried. She really did care about him.

"You really love me don't you?" He murmured as he moved towards the emergency vehicle.

"Yes, don't think you're getting out of this just because of it though." She said, misinterpreting his realization with an attempt to get his way. " I love you Seto. But that means I'm not just going to stand around and yes you to death. When you're doing something stupid, something dangerous and stupid, I'm going to speak out. Your happiness doesn't come first. Your safety does." She said, finally calming down. Kaiba stopped about fifteen feet away from the ambulance, almost causing Serenity to crash into him. He spun and grabbed her, holding her and kissing her head.

"I understand." He said. He hated losing control over the situation, but trusted her. She only wanted the best for him, and he would allow her to try. The only other option was death.

"Seto... you'll make it through this. We all will."

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><p>"Listen Mic, I've got some info on the Kaiba case." Joey said, marching into the lobby like a million dollar man.<p>

"Um, Wheeler, Seto Kaiba is dead, and Mokuba Kaiba is missing." The man behind the desk said raising and eyebrow and sounding bemused.

"Uh... no, he's not and no he's not." Joey said, mocking the man in front of him. "But if we want to keep it that way, I'mma need your help." The man leaned over the desk, and beckoned him closer.

"Listen, Kaiba's dead. Mokuba's lost on foreign soil, and if you think you're being funny-"

"No, Kaiba's not. He would be if he stayed in your custody past the nitrogen gas attack, but he broke out. He would be dead if left to you, but instead, he came to me." Mic straightened out, staring at him in shock.

"Why the hell would Seto Kaiba go to you? He hates you."

"Exactly. Well... hated. We've bonded... that's not the point. The point is, he's still being hunted and I know who's doing it." Mic paused for a moment. Joey had only ever been trouble for him, but... it sounded different now. Joey was calm and cool, and level, but behind that... desperate.

"What do you know?" He asked, finally letting the boy speak.

"First I'm gonna need a few things. No media. No one outside hears about this. No one. Got a place we can speak in private?" He said with an innocent smile. Now Mic knew he wasn't playing around. He called his superiors and led Joey farther into the precinct.

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><p>Joey jogged happily into the warehouse and reached for the door to the ambulance. Swinging it open and peeking in, Serenity and Kaiba jumped. She was atop him, and they had been kissing just before Joey opened the door.<p>

"What the... you two are like freakin rabbits." Joey said with a disapproving look as he hopped inside. "Get... get off and listen." He said waving a hand at Serenity and moving to seat himself. Serenity crawled off of Kaiba, a large blush across her features, and sat next to her brother. "It's goin down." Joey said, facing Serenity "They did just what I thought they would. We've got it planned for a week from today. They wanted to give Kaiba more time to heal up before it happens."

"What happens?" Kaiba asked, getting tired of their vague terms.

"You'll find out when you need to." Serenity said, pissing him off.

"When I need to?" She only nodded. He growled a little. He was alright with letting her take control of the situation, but completely leaving him out was not in his plan.

"Seto, don't worry. Trust me. It'll all work out. I wont let anything happen to you." She said, leaning over him and kissing his head. He frowned and she almost giggled, but restrained herself for his benefit. "Just rest up. That's your part in this right now." She rubbed his arm and followed her brother, slipping out the back of the vehicle. He would have to wait until they were ready to tell him. He just hoped that telling him was part of the plan.

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**So, What do you think? Leave me some tasty reviews, so I wont starve before I finish the next chappie, ok? I'm diein' here!**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~Love Ya!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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Mokuba visited every day while Tristan worked in his garage and went home with him every night at the end of his shift. The ambulance was only kept for one more day before they had to return it in "like new" condition. Tristan turned his office into a makeshift bedroom for Kaiba to rest in and Serenity was by his side twenty four seven. It had been an aggravatingly relaxing week, but finally Serenity was ready to tell him the plan, he hoped.

"Can you stand?" She asked worriedly. He looked at her quizzically but rose. She knew he could but she was always so careful with him.

"What's going on?" he asked, eager to know what was going down.

"We're going out to dinner." He stopped.

"What?"

"We're going out to dinner." She repeated and he waited for her to continue. There must have been more to it.

"That... that's it?" he asked skeptically after an eternity of waiting.

"No, but, I'm sorry Seto, you're not the main character in this plan. All you have to know, is we're going out to dinner, and you're going to run when I tell you to." That was it... eat... and run... it sounded like a bad high school prank. He couldn't accept it.

"This is a joke, right? You cant expect me to just blindly put my life in other people's hands, can you?" She grabbed his waving hands and took them in her own sweetly.

"Not other peoples. Mine. You trust me don't you?" She asked looking up at him.

"Serenity, there's trust and then there's terrifyingly secretive. We've... I've only really known you for such a short amount of time. A few months... it's just not that long to be-" She pulled her hands back as he trailed off, unable to meet her stare.

"Seto... Kaiba..." her switch to his last name stung, but he remained quiet. " I'm doing everything in my power to keep you alive. I'm trying my very hardest and giving everything I have to make it so your only choice isn't death. This is the safest plan. Please. Just follow me. Then you never have to again." He did look up after that. He pulled her against him, but she moved back She opened the door to the office and turned to him. "I'll get you your clothes for tonight." And then she left.

It wasn't long before Tristan knocked on the door. He could see him through the glass window of the office, but it was a courtesy Tristan wouldn't do without.

"Here. I'm around the same size as you, so this should work." He said, offering him a simple suit. Kaiba took it and turned away from the window. Tristan stood outside while he changed and was there to help with adjustments when the time came.

"Where's Serenity?" He asked as he put on his tie.

"She's getting dressed. Mai picked out her outfit so it's kinda revealing. Tea's trying to do her best to make her presentable." Kaiba couldn't keep the thought of Serenity dressed up from his mind. He coughed, clearing his throat as he tried to shake those images out. He left the office as Tristan went to get his car for him to use. He watched where Tristan disappeared to, but something moved behind him and he turned.

There she was. A small black dress hugging her petite curves and falling just above her knees. It had an open back and the straps tied a the base of her neck. She had a small gray half sweater draped around her, Tea's attempt to make the dress a little more conservative, but Kaiba slid it down her shoulders and removed it.

"This is more the style nowadays." He said slowly, eyes stuck on her.

"... Thanks." She said, trying to keep her emotional distance but finding it difficult while he was so captivated with her. "So... are you ready?" It snapped him back, but only mostly.

"Yes...yes" He nodded, offering her his arm. He felt almost normal now in a suit and getting ready to go out. If only there weren't people trying to kill him out in the world.

They took Tristan's car to the restaurant that Serenity told him to go to, but once they got there, she instructed him to wait. Pulling out a cell phone, she dialed a number and placed it at her ear.

"Hi, yeah we're here. Are they in there? Good. Yes, we'll be right in." She looked up at Kaiba and gave him a smile. "We're on. Just... just be careful." She said, opening the door. They moved to the front and Kaiba held open the door for her as they entered.

The second they stepped in, the restaurant went silent. It stayed that way until the host came to lead them to their table. Murmurs started throughout the area and Kaiba heard his name over and over. Finally, the real surprise, the host brought them right in front of, and walked them across, Souzishi Yashimusou's table. The mob boss looked at him, jaw ajar as he strode along the dining room floor.

Once seated, Kaiba had the perfect view of the man trying to kill him. He shook violently at his table, the men with him rising slowly and reaching for their pockets.

"Serenity..." Kaiba murmured, watching the man and his minions ready themselves.

"Not yet." She said quietly. She took his hand, pretending not to be aware of their presence.

"What is he doing here?" He asked, still weary.

"This is Jake's reception, now that the funeral is over." She explained. The man and his wife rose as well, and Kaiba watched as he reached into his jacket. Serenity turned looking at him and watched as he pulled out a revolver. "...Now..." She said too calmly. Kaiba jumped up as the bullets flew out. He ripped Serenity from her seat and nearly dragged her into the restaurant's kitchen as people fled and screamed.

Kaiba made it all the way to the rear entrance before he was grabbed. Not thinking, he swung out, punching the assailant in the face as he tried to regain Serenity.

"No, Seto!" He heard her call and stopped, taking a good look around him. The man he had struck was non other than Sergeant Mic, of Domino police department. He stood back up, rubbing the blood off of his cheek and looked at the adrenaline filled boy.

"We got him." The officer said. " Attempted murder and possession of unlawful firearms. He's going to go away for a long time."

"What about his son? I killed him."

"Happened in international waters. I have no jurisdiction over it." Sergeant Mic said.

"So... It's over. It's finally over." He said, relief seeping out of his voice. Serenity moved over to him and rubbed his arm, but it didn't last long as he tugged her against him. It was finally over. He could go home. He could go back to his old life. "Lets go home." He said pulling Serenity to the car. She hesitated for a moment but went with him. They picked up Mokuba and Joey while Kaiba called his chauffeur. Tristan drove his own car behind them and before long they were on their way to the Kaiba mansion and finally back where they belonged.

Mokuba ran to his room, making sure everything was alright while Kaiba oversaw the inspection of his house. He wanted to be positive there was nothing dangerous in his home. It took a few hours, but eventually all threats were neutralized. It was almost midnight and he was looking forward to spending time in his own bed.

"How are things?" Serenity asked, coming up from behind him.

"Fine. It looks like I'm safe. We're safe. Do you need a ride back to your place?" he asked, noting how tired she was and glanced up at her brother as well.

"Actually..." Joey started, pausing to think of the words to say. Kaiba furrowed his brow at why Joey was being so shy all of the sudden, when Serenity popped in front of him.

"Actually, Tristan is going to give us a ride. You get some rest. You're not entirely healed up." She said sweetly. Joey still looked like he had something to say, but moved with her as she pulled him towards the main hall.

"Hey, where'd they go?" Tristan said as he moved down the hall. Mokuba had grown close to him as he stayed with him and wanted to show him his extensive video game collection.

"They're waiting for you to take them home."

"Home? Oh, you mean to Mai's place." Tristan corrected, starting past him.

"No... why are they going to Mai's place?" Kaiba asked, halting the boy.

"They didn't … They … They lost the house. While you were staying in my workshop, the bank took it back." He said quietly, as if it were some secret.

"... Take care of them." Kaiba said, now upset with himself for not figuring it out sooner. They had given everything for him. Not two months prior, he was a stranger... no, an enemy. Now they had nothing because of him, but he knew what he had to do. He moved down the hall to his room while Tristan made his way to the siblings.

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><p>"Joey, hurry up, it's almost noon." Serenity said hurrying her brother. He gatherd some things in a duffel bag and headed down the stairs. The bank only gave them between eight and noon to gather their items before they auctioned off the property. As they stepped out of the house, Serenity nearly crashed face first into Kaiba.<p>

"Going somewhere?" Kaiba asked as she regained her composure. He watched the blush spread across her cheeks and she turned away.

"Oh, Se- Kaiba... I got your clothes. They're in here somewhere." She said, glancing down a the pile of clothes in her hands.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He asked, waiting for her to break down and tell him already and pretending that her use of his last name didn't sting.

"Uh, well I was just on my way out. We're going to spend some time with Mai for a while." He tapped his foot impatiently and she looked up at him. "Wha... oh... you... you know don't you?" He nodded and she looked down again. "We... we have to leave. It's almost noon and the bank said we cant be here past then."

"The bank has no say what goes on in this property."Her eyes snapped back to his and she looked at him confusedly.

"But... they own it..." She said, wondering if he actually knew what she thought he did.

"No, you do." He said, reaching into his coat pocket and bringing out a piece of paper and a pen. "That is, as long as you sign here." He said, holding them out to her. She looked over the deed, then back to him but didn't move other than that. "Well, don't you want it?" He asked lowering his arms.

"You... you..." Her eyes began to water as she trailed off

"I told you I'd pay y-" He couldn't finish as she had dropped her things and launched at him, hugging him in a vice like grip.

"You're amazing!" She cried and he chuckled.

"That sounds familiar." he said raising a teasing eyebrow at her while Joey coughed uncomfortably.

"Ey, Moneybags. Get your paws off my sister." Kaiba smiled but did as he requested. He held out a hand, offering it to Joey and the blonde took it and proceeded to pull him into a hug. "I guess... we're even." He joked, laughing and pulling away. Kaiba couldn't help but laugh quietly as well.

He was safe. His brother was safe. The compound full of deadly weapons was destroyed and a mob boss was behind bars. Everything was as it should be. He could finally return to life.

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**Ok, so the end of another story. Sometime soon I'm going to be posting the first chapter of another story I'm working on. It's called "How to Save a Life". It's about Kaiba and an OC (my second ever made). Kaiba is going to school for psychology after completing his business and computer science majors, and is required to take part in a student counselor outreach program for the school. He has to man the phones and help anonymous callers as part of a free counseling hotline for people with problems and not any money to deal with them properly. **

**They told him he'd never forget his first call, and they couldn't be more correct. A girl calls to talk, but has more problems than it initially seems. What dark secrets is she holding back? Can he help her in time? **

**It's a story I've written before, but only recently decided to post. Look it up. It might even be up by today. **

**In the mean time, tell me what you thought of this story. Please don't forget to review. I'd love to hear any thoughts on it.**

**Read, Review, Enjoy~ Love Ya!**


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